Understanding is not Speaking

In David Sedaris’ essay Me Talk Pretty One Day he talks about his struggle going to school in Paris. Although he writes satirically this story is very real for anyone learning to speak a new language. In our AP Language class we have read many stories about the suppression of non-English speaking immigrants in America. It is clear that, while they may be highly intelligent, because they cannot express their thoughts with proper and elegant language they are seen as inferior to those English speakers who use such sophisticated language, of which they are not even aware of the true meaning.

Taking a class in a language cannot really teach you how to communicate with it’s speakers. Sedaris had taken a French class in New York but once he got to France he realized how little of the language he knew. When Sedaris could not understand all the words his teacher said he could understand the nature of it but her tone of voice and body language.

Over time Sedaris learned to understand the French language. He was able to know what was being said to him but he could not “talk pretty”.  He could not carry himself with confidence in what he was saying. He did not know all the slang and figures of speech. There is a lot more to understand in a language than just it’s words. Its about understanding the culture and the people. Its about knowing what to say when and how. To truly be able to speak French Sedaris would need to learn to become French.